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Paul Halsall
Modern Western Civilization

Class 11 : The Liberal Revolution

I. The Estates General May 1789 - July 1789

King still in Charge

Estates General met May 5 1789 at Versailles

• Third Estate had twice as many Reps (agreed in Dec)
  Its reps were largely lawyers and Govt officials
• Still disputes over voting - eg should all estates meet together or separately.
• The Third Estate kept being slighted - it refused to sit alone.
• The other Estates invited to join with it on June 1st.
  
  

II. National Constituent Assembly July 1789 - 1791

• A Nominal Absolute Monarchy
• State Church with Priests paid by State
• CREATES A LIBERAL REVOLUTION
  

A: Events

1. The Third Estate Declares itself National Assembly June 17^th
   Tennis Court Oath June 20th 1789
2. The king opposed it but majority of the clergy some nobles joined it.
3. June 27th the King capitulated.
4. National assembly takes name NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
   

B. The King's Fatal Decision

1. Louis tried to re-assert his authority - with an army near Versailles - 18,000 troops-Marie Antoinette advised him to attack it.
2. -King acts stupidly - tries to undermine NAT. ASS but not effectively - creates anxiety amongst its supporters -
3. The King abandoned the bourgeoisie, which monarchs had supported for a century and now supported the nobility
4. Now to revolt against the nobility the Third Estate also had to revolt against the King.
5. But Two Mass Uprisings of the Masses saved the Nat. Assembly
   

C. Revolt of the Poor of Paris

1. Rising bread prices 1788-89 - riots already in the spring of 1789
2. Paris politicised by the elections to the EG - had continued to meet after elections.
3. Paris mob storms the Bastille - JULY 14 1789
   Basically a prison, but not used very much by 1789 -raided to find weapons for revolutionary militias growing up in Paris
4. troops fired into crowd, killing 98 - crowd storms fortress - kills troops
5. Symbolic importance: First re-direction of the Revolution by pop of Paris
   -Also caused similar disturbances in other cities
6. Militias take name NATIONAL GUARD - led by Lafayette
   Take Tricolour as flag (Blue and red for Paris, white for the bourbon king)
   

D. Revolt of the Peasants - revolts from Spring 1789

1. In July - Massive revolts throughout France
2. -The Great Fear - fear of royal troops
3. -Destruction of lots of medieval documents
4. Forced the National Assembly to abolish "feudal" dues
   -August 4th 1789
   -there was a sort of carnival of self-sacrifice amongst the nobility + the rich bourgeoisie
   -all feudal dues, rights and tithes
5. After this the Peasantry had a very quite and almost conservative role - it had what it wanted - LAND.
6. But it was the economic conditions that had made the Revolution take on such vast proportions.
   

E. Ideological Actions of the National Constituent Assembly

1. August 4th Laws -
   All French now subject to the same laws.
   Abolished the "feudal regime" + Tithes + hunting rights + venal offices (explain)
   Peasants supposed to pay compensation - but this requirement was abolished under radical rev. in 1793.
2. Declaration of the Rights of Man - August 27th 1789
   [Discuss in Class - Where did the Ideas in it come from]
   Printed in 1000s of leaflets and distributed around France.
   IMPORTANCE OF PROPAGANDA
3. Ideals
   -equality before the law
   -due process (art 7)
   -natural rights - liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression (art 2)
   -sovereignity resides in the Nation (art 3)
   -law is an expression of the General Will (art.6)
   -freedom of religion (art 10) [Jews as well, for 1st time)
   -free speech (art 11)
   -separation of powers (art 16)
   -Enlightenment ideas + American declarations of rights (eg Virginia in 1776)
   
   

F. King and Government Move to Paris - October 6th

1. Forced by the Poor Women of Paris
2. Made government function under threat of mob violence but
3. France was now to peaceful for almost 3 years
   

III. The National Constituent Assembly's Governing

It faced massive problems of control. It would not repudiate the state debt (since many of its members were men of property and were owed money). It also had to find a way to rule France now that the power of the monarch was in shreds.

A. Administration - the Reforming of France

• Provinces replaced by 83 Departments
• Same sort of courts and laws applied throughout France.
  

B. Economic Liberalism

• Gets rid of tariffs - unlimited economic freedom
• Suppresses guilds and forbids workers associations -
• Chapelier Law (6/14/1791) -remained law in France for 3/4 of a century.
  

C. The State Debt

• The solution was to attack the Church - (ref. Voltaire and philosophes): the nationalization of Church lands
• Problem was many people loyal to Church and this action made the Revolution unpopular in many quarters.
• this was a serious blunder
• the emigrés begin to leave
• Also a split between anticlericals and pro-clericals has been at centre of French life ever since.
• Printed bonds - assignats based on value of Church land - became used as money
  

D. The Church: Civil Constitution of the Clergy July 1790

• Made bishoprics same as departments
• Priests and bishops to be elected + paid by state (anyone could vote - including atheists - Church seen as part of the state - ie no separation of Church and State)
• As well as all this, religious orders were abolished.
• The Assembly required an oath from the clergy - to oppose the pope - only half did so + 7 bishops
• The Pope condemned the Revolution,liberalism, & the Rights of Man - began attack on liberalism for next century.
  

E. Constitution of 1791

This was what the National Constituent Assembly was for.

• One Chamber House
• Only men paying tax could vote
• Only 50,000 would qualify to be elected
  ie less than the number of the nobility
• Members of National Assembly not eligible for election.

IV. The King's Actions Destabilize the Liberal Revolution

The King was becoming more and more impotent.

June 20 1791 - Louis XVI tried to flee, but was stopped at Varennes and brought back June 24 a virtual prisoner.

The attitude of the King made the constitutional monarchy of the 1791 Constitution impossible to work. There was no strong executive provided for apart from the King's ministers.

V. The Legislative Assembly

• Constitutional Monarchy:
• War is promoted to solve domestic problems:
• still a state Church
  

Took over October 1 1987.

It was to prove ineffective. This eventually led to a radicalisation of the Revolution.

VI. The Wars

A. 1791 Declaration of Pillnitz August 27

• - threatens invasion by Austria and Prussia
• - not really a threat as GB would not join in
  

B. War Period - Begins April 1792

• This was beginning of a long period of war which forms a background to everything for the next 30 or so years.
• In retaliation to Dec. of Pillnitz the French Deputies (in Assembly) declare war on Austria - 20th Apr 1792

1. There was pressure from democratic exiles from other countries
2. Radicals thought a successful War would bring them support.
3. Louis XVI supported the war - he hoped a loss would restore his position - as did many monarchist members of the Leg Assembly.
4. [Robespierre opposed the war as he saw danger of defeat]
   

C. The French armies were soon retreating - this caused radicalisation at Home.

VI. Political Infighting in the Legislative Assembly

Idea of left and Right - origins in the meetings of the Legislative Assembly.

Different Factions

• -Monarchists - inc. Lafayette
• -The Jacobins - a sort of elitist political club
  -wanted a republic - met in a Dominican priory (Jacobin a name for OPs)
• One group of Jacobins - known as Girondists assumed leadership - (at first led by Jacque-Pierre Brissot 1754-93. sometimes known as Brissotins)

April 20 1792 -declared war on Austria thinking that it would bring most radical revolutionaries to power. -- BEGINNING OF THE RADICALIZATION OF REVOLUTION